Working-Class Unity

Published:Za PravduNo. 50, December 3, 1913.

      Published according to theZa Pravdutext.Source:Lenin
	  Collected Works,

      Progress Publishers,1977,

      Moscow,Volume 19,

      pages519-521.Translated:The Late George HannaTranscription\Markup:R. CymbalaPublic Domain:Lenin Internet Archive

      (2004).You may freely copy, distribute,
	display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and
	commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet
	Archive” as your source.•README

Lately,the polemics thatNovaya Rabochaya Gazetahas been conducting against the six worker deputies in the Duma have been
steadily losing any business-like and ideological character and assuming
more and more the character of a “squabble”. It isall the morenecessary, there fore, toturnthese polemicsbackinto
the channels of a serious examination of controversial questions. Every
class-conscious worker will probably agree with us about this.

Wehave before us the “big names” that the liquidators always juggle
with. Tsereteli and Gegechkori condemn the six; the “leading body” of the
August Conference (1912) does the same. For the thousand and first time
they call the six splitters, and proclaim “unity”.

We,for our part, undeterred by raving and shouting, will, for the
thousand and first time, calmly call upon the workers to reflect upon the
question and study it.

Theworking class needs unity. But unity can be effected only by a
united organisation whose decisions are conscientiously carried out by all
class-conscious workers. Discussing the problem, expressing and hearing
different opinions, ascertaining the views of themajorityof the
organised Marxists, expressing these views in the form of decisions adopted
by delegates and carrying them out conscientiously—this is what
reasonable people all over the world callunity. Such a unity is
infinitely precious, and infinitely important to the working
class. Disunited, the workers are nothing. United, they are everything.

Arethere, we ask, data available that will enable every
class-conscious worker who desires to study the controversy for himself to
judge whether unityhas been maintainedamong worker Social-Democrats during the past few years?

Effortsmust be made to collect such data, to verify them and to
publish them as material for the purpose of enlightening, uniting and
organising the workers.

ThenewspaperPravdahas been in existence since April 1912,
and its trend has always (and not one of its opponents has ever denied
this) strictly conformed to the decisions which onthree occasionsin this period (once in 1912 and twice in 1913) were passed by the leading
Marxist body. How many workers have accepted these decisions (on all
questions of working-class life; altogether there were about forty
decisions) and have carried them out?

Thereply to this question—obviously a very important and interesting
one—can be only approximate, but it is based on absolutely precise and
objective andnotbiased data. In 1912 and 1913 there were
basicallytwoworkers’ newspapers, which advocateddifferentviews to the masses of the workers. Both of them
published reports of the workers’ groups which collected funds for the
respective newspapers. Needless to say, the workers’ groups which collected
funds for agivennewspaper thereby expressed by deeds (and not
merely by words) their sympathies for the policy pursued by that paper, and
their determination to back the decisions that it supports.

Thepublication of these data in the two rival newspapers is the best
guarantee against mistakes, which interested workers can themselves
correct. Here are the data, which have been publishedmany timesbefore, haveneverbeen refuted by anyone, and have never been
superseded by other data. In the course of nearly two years, from
January 1912 to October 1913, 556 workers’ group collections were made forLuch, 2,181 forPravda, and 395 for the Moscow workers’
newspaper.

Onemay boldly assert that nobody but a person blinded by prejudice
would hesitate to admit that the majority (and the overwhelming majority at
that) supportedPravda. Slowly but surely thePravdapeople are building upreal unityamong the workers, uniting them
by uniform decisions, which they conscientiously carry out.This is the
first timein Russia that a Marxist daily newspaper, which
scrupulouslydefends uniform and precise decisions, has been able for so long tounitemore and more systematically and closelyworkers’
groupsscattered all over the country.

Thisis unity in deeds and not merely in words! Of course, this is not
everything but it is actual deeds and not merely words, not a mere
advertising.

ButTsereteli, Gegechkori and the “August leading body”, like all the
other liquidators,stubbornlyignore the facts!

Theyshout about “unity”, but say nothing about the fact that it is
the liquidators—obviously in the minority among the class-conscious
workers—whoare violating unity, are flouting the will of the
majority!

Nooutcries, no clamour and no abuse can refute this plain and simple
fact; and all references made by the “August leading, and so forth”, to
all sorts of “bodies” and groups, only raise a smile. Just think,
gentlemen! What are your “bodies and groups” worth ifnoworkers, or only anobviousminority, support them? Such “bodies
and groups” arebreakawaybodies if they fail to call upon all
the workers to obey the will of the majority.

Theexperience of the revival of the working-class movement during the
past two years increasingly confirms the correctness of theviewsofPravda. The experience of uniting theworkersof
Russia on definite decisions formulated by the Marxists is more and more
clearly revealing the successes, growth and strength of our
organisation. It goes without saying that we shall proceed along this path
more boldly and quickly, undaunted by abuse, by outcries, or by any thing
else.